Economic Outlook and Furlough Scheme Changes Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Economic Outlook and Furlough Scheme Changes

Ben Bradshaw Excerpts
Tuesday 16th June 2020

(3 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jesse Norman Portrait Jesse Norman
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As a former Health Minister, my hon. Friend will understand very well the importance of this issue, and I thank him for raising it. This question is very much one that is being discussed across Government at the moment. One of the few silver linings to this crisis has been the understanding that, actually, the nature of work is changing as between home and work. One of the things that has not received much notice but I am intensely proud of is the way in which HMRC has been able to organise itself into much more of a disaggregated place in order to support from home all the services that it continues to deliver.

Ben Bradshaw Portrait Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter) (Lab)
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I warmly welcome the Government’s U-turn a moment ago on school meals and any role the Treasury might have played in that decision. Given its devastating impact on jobs, the wider economy and, indeed, Treasury receipts, and as the rest of Europe is opening up, may we please have a U-turn on the Government’s ridiculous quarantine policy?

Jesse Norman Portrait Jesse Norman
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I am afraid I am not qualified to comment on the ridiculousness or no of the quarantine policy. It remains in place in order to protect people, and it will be for colleagues to make a decision about that in due course.